This application is directed generally to accessories for motor vehicles, such a recreational vehicles and the like, and more particularly to a novel and improved pop-up ashtray for use in a motor vehicle or the like.
Ashtrays for motor vehicles must generally be removable in order to permit periodic emptying and cleaning thereof. Generally speaking, most ashtrays in motor vehicles are configured for insertion into a through opening in a generally horizontal panel of the vehicle, such as in an armrest, a console or other relatively flat, generally horizontal surface.
Most commonly, a simple cutout or opening is provided in the horizontal surface and ashtray is configured for a sliding frictional fit in the through opening. Often, the ashtray will have an enlarged peripheral flange at an upper portion thereof to define a fully inserted or seated position of the ashtray with respect to its through opening. Usually, removal is accomplished by grasping of the flange or some other manually accessible portion of the ashtray and pulling upwardly to slidably remove the ashtray from its receiving aperture. Often times, such ashtrays are provided with a hingedly attached lid which provides a closure over an otherwise open top portion of the ashtray. In this regard, the ashtray usually defines an open-topped receptacle or container of selected depth, generally defined by a peripheral side wall and a bottom wall. The side walls and bottom wall may be integrally formed as by a cold forming operation on a sheet of material. Frequently, the peripheral upper flange portion which generally surrounds the open top of the container is also formed in the same process.
However, grasping of the peripheral flange for removal of the ashtray is often difficult, because the peripheral flange is usually pressed flush against the panel about the aperture into which the ashtray is mounted. Thus, working of a fingernail or other object between the flange and the panel is necessary to remove the ashtray from the panel in this fashion. This can result in broken fingernails, or where a tool or other object is used, in scratching, marring and/or other damage to the flange of the ashtray as well as to portions of the panels surrounding the aperture into which the ashtray fits.
Often, removal is accomplished by grasping the lid or some other projecting portion of the ashtray. While sometimes a graspable projecting portion is provided for this purpose, sometimes this is not the case. Thus, it is frequently necessary to grasp the hingedly attached lid portion, or some other projecting portion, such as the cigarette or cigar stub-out portion which often projects interiorly of the container defined within the walls of the ashtray. However, these portions of the ashtray may often be soiled from use, causing soiling of the fingers of the user during the process of removal of the same for emptying and cleaning. Also, these surfaces may not be always conveniently accessible. As an additional matter, when grasping the lid portion to effect removal, it is possible to bend, break or misalign the hingedly attached lid portion during removal. That is, the hinged attachment is usually not designed for withstanding any substantial amount of pulling or twisting force, but rather only for hingedly securing the lid for providing an openable closure for the ashtray.